Marlee remains home sick for most of February, but Jimmy comes by on Valentine’s Day to bring her the class assignments she’s missed. When Marlee is ready to return to school in March, she finds that one of her teachers is out sick and that her own mother will be substituting.

Mortified by this turn of events, Marlee is further upset when her mother arranges for her to meet JT after school to help him with his math homework. Afterward, Mrs. Nisbett drives both kids home. JT announces that he wants to take Marlee to Sally’s birthday party at the roller rink. He and Mrs. Nisbett arrange a plan for the event. Marlee thinks, “No one even asked me what I thought. And I didn’t say a thing” (179).

When Liz and Marlee meet next at the rock crusher, Marlee proposes that they catch crawdads. Liz is frightened of the tiny creatures but agrees to catch them if Marlee will face a similar phobia and climb a tree. Both girls succeed in facing their fears that afternoon. From the top of the tree, Marlee says:

The view was beautiful. In one direction, I could see the large rock we liked to sit on, and in the other, the rolling Arkansas hills.